Bacterial Vaginosis Treatments with Antibiotics
Only women who are suffering from bacterial vaginosis knew how distressing vaginal symptoms are – the fishy vaginal odor that comes with the abnormal vaginal discharge, and sometimes vaginal itch and pain during urination. Although the symptoms are physical, but they deeply affect a woman’s everyday life. The symptoms may lower her self confidence, or prevent her from getting intimate with her partner. Fortunately, different bacterial vaginosis treatments are available to relieve those unpleasant symptoms.
Treatment options for bacterial vaginosis include oral antibiotics and vaginal gels. Usually BV can resolve completely without complications after treatment, and no follow-up is necessary if the symptoms are gone. But because identifying the exact cause of the condition has been difficult, it is a challenge to treat bacterial vaginosis successfully. Current bacterial vaginosis therapy is aimed at alleviation of the symptoms and reestablishing the normal vaginal flora. This article focuses on the standard bacterial vaginosis treatments with antibiotics.
Antibiotics are the main medicine for treating bacterial vaginosis. The antibiotic routinely prescribed is metronidazole (commercially known as Flagyl), which are available in the form of pill (taken orally) or vaginal metronidazole gel (Metrogel). Both are effective treatment for bacterial vaginosis. Another antibiotic that are commonly used is vaginal clindamycin cream (Cleocin).
The oral metronidazole is thus far considered the most effective drug treatment for BV. However, it can cause some minor but unpleasant side effects. Using vaginal gels usually remove the worries of antibiotic side effects. However, there is a risk of triggering a secondary yeast infection. The internationally recommended treatments for bacterial vaginosis include 7 days of oral metronidazole (400 mg twice daily) or vaginal clindamycin (1 g at night). Tinidazole is a newer antibiotic that has been shown to cause fewer side effects than metronidazole. It is also effective for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.
Recurrent bacterial vaginosis is possible even after successful treatments. It has been reported that more than half the women who received antibiotic treatment would get bacterial vaginosis again in less than a year. Some even sooner. In fact, many medical research have found that 60% of women with bacterial vaginosis, despite treatment with antibiotic, continued to experience recurring BV. If 30% of the US adult population has BV, then there would be at least 20 million women suffering from recurring bacterial vaginosis!
It remains to be elucidated as to why recurrent bacterial vaginosis happens. When that occurs, usually you will be prescribed another course of antibiotics to treat the infection and ease the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis. Deep down in the heart, however, most doctors and their patients already know that standard bacterial vaginosis treatments with antibiotic often only provide short-term symptom relief. A second, third or fourth episode of bacterial vaginosis can return any time and make a vengeance. This is why natural remedies and homeopathic treatments for bacterial vaginosis are becoming more widely used to avoid the side effects of long-term antibiotic treatment.
If you prefer fast natural cures for bacterial vaginosis symptoms, the 3-step attack plan in 3 Days to Permanent Bacterial Vaginosis Relief guide may be a good one to start with.
